


Henrik and Roxanna

by birthdaycake_storytime_fall



Category: Holby City
Genre: F/M, Hexanna, a collection of one-shots, all about Henrik and Roxanna's relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-26
Updated: 2019-03-09
Packaged: 2019-10-17 05:28:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17554265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/birthdaycake_storytime_fall/pseuds/birthdaycake_storytime_fall
Summary: This is going to be an on-going collection of one-shots about Henrik and Roxanna's relationship (and friendship) all set in the same universe. Canon-divergent.





	1. 1) CEO Post

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoy! Please leave comments at the end letting me know what you'd like to see next in this story.

"Henrik?" The sound of a quiet, tired mumble came from the direction of the bed.

He stopped pacing and turned towards the voice. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." He whispered, suddenly aware of how absurd it must seem for him to be pacing around the room at 2 o'clock in the morning.

The owner of the first voice sat up, letting the covers fall from her shoulders and into her lap. "I'm guessing you're worried about something?" She questioned, already able to guess the answer.

"You should try to get back to sleep." He spoke, without properly responding. "I'm just a little...anxious. It's nothing I can't handle on my own."

"The fact that you're wearing a hole in the carpet at two in the morning says otherwise. Is this about the job?"

After a moments hesitation he crossed the room to perch on the side of the bed, next to Roxanna. "Yes, my love, I suppose that is a giveaway." He paused, before speaking again. "After Fredrik and John, the one job in the hopsital that nobody wants is the CEO position. And of course you can understand why. The problem is that I feel under a lot of pressure to take up the role again from other staff members, although I have clearly protested my interest." He sighed deeply, taking a moment before he spoke again. And you haven't even returned to work yet from your sick leave, I still feel a duty of care to you that I'm not sure I'll be able to fulfill if I'm taking care of the whole hospital."

Roxanna placed a comforting hand on Henrik's arm. "I'm going back to work the day after tomorrow, technically it's actually tomorrow. I'm recovering well." Roxanna replied, not wanting Henrik to feel like he had to turn down the role because of her. "You have to do what you feel is right, darling. I, personally, feel like you are the person best suited to the role but I don't want you doing anything that could be damaging for your mental health." She paused for a moment, watching him take in what she had said. "All I can say is that what Fredrik and John did was not your fault. You didn't control either of them, they made their own decisions. You're not accountable for either of them."

Both fell silent for a while, until Roxanna was no longer able to stifle her yawn.

"I'm sorry for waking you, Roxanna." Said Henrik, looking down at his hands in his lap. "You should get back to sleep."

"It's okay, I understand why you're so restless. That said, you should try to sleep too. At least try to lay down, even if you don't fall asleep." She suggested, squeezing his hand gently.

Henrik nodded silently and placed a light kiss on Roxanna's forehead before standing up to walk around the bed and laying under the covers as Roxanna resettled herself.

-

Roxanna woke the next morning to a silent room and an empty bed, which she had anticipated after Henrik's anxiety episode in the early hours of the morning. Looking at the bedside clock she could see that it was nearly nine o'clock, meaning that she'd slept longer than usual.

Just as she picked up her phone she heard Henrik climb the stairs and gently tap on the bedroom door.

"I'm awake." She replied, granting him entrance to the room.

"Good morning." His reply came as he stepped over the threshold and crossed the room to sit on the bed besides Roxanna. "How are you feeling today?"

"I keep telling you, Henrik, I feel fine. And, yes, before you ask I will be more than ready to return to work tomorrow." She knew that Henrik thought she needed more time off to work, following the car accident and the following events caused by their old friend. However, sometimes Roxanna thought that Henrik knew she was ready to return to work but wanted her to stay away from the hospital because people were still whispering about John Gaskell. "I can't take another day of sitting around the house."

"If you feel ready." Henrik replied, still thinking she was too fragile to return to work already, but not wanting her to think that he was doubting whatever decision she tried to make. "Speaking of, I have to leave in 10 minutes for my shift."

"I know. Have a good day, and remember what I said last night about the CEO position - don't do anything that will make you miserable." Roxanna smiled, caressing Henrik's hands as she spoke.

"Thank you, Roxanna. I've been thinking about it all morning." He reassured, placing a kiss on her hand before standing up and bidding her goodbye.

-

Henrik entered the office he shared with Sacha, finding the man already sat at the desk on the right-hand side of the room.

"Good morning, Henrik." Sacha smiled as his colleague entered the room, before returning his attention to the computer screen in front of him.

Henrik replied in a friendly manner before turning on his own computer and setting his bag down behind his desk.

The two men sat in a comfortable silence for a while whilst they worked. Henrik's mind was only half focused, however, as his thoughts often drifted to the CEO post. Sacha also happened to be distracted by the vacant CEO post, knowing the hospital board were looking to fill the position by the end of the day; he was hesitant to start the conversation with Henrik, however, due to the fact that when he'd brought it up recently he had either been met with silence or annoyance from his colleague.

After a while, Henrik spoke up. "How's the ward looking this morning?"

"It's been so quiet I've been able to finish at least three quarters of my paperwork from the last 2 days already, and I've only been here for about an hour and a half." Sacha replied, motioning to the tall but neat pile of patient notes and other various pieces of paper that sat on his desk.

The two continued to talk about the ward for a short while, until they were interrupted by Dominic requesting a second opinion. Henrik stood to follow Dominic out of the office, asking him about the patient and the most likely diagnosis.

-

Once Henrik had left his third surgery of the day and returned to his office his phone buzzed, alerting him to a phone call. Upon picking the device up off the desk he saw that he'd missed a call already. Answering the phone he sat down at his desk and sighed silently to himself.

Although Henrik felt some relief at the fact that neither of the calls were from Roxanna saying she was hurt or ill and needed him home, he was decidedly not happy that it was Jennifer Holdsworth from the hospital board calling to ask his final decision on the CEO post before they offered it to someone else.

"I'll take the position." Henrik spoke confidently.  
-  
Roxanna was sat on the sofa reading an online medical journal when she heard Henrik's car pulling into the driveway.

She placed her phone on the coffee table as he walked through the door. "how was your day?" She asked politely, aware that the board would have asked him one last time if he was willing to take the CEO position, but allowing him to be the one to approach that particular topic.

"It was fine, thank you." The friendly reply came as Henrik sat besides Roxanna. "I took your advice, and as of tomorrow I will be resuming my position as CEO." Roxanna witnessed a rare smile form on Henrik's face.

"I'm glad you made the right decision for you." Roxanna replied, before reaching out to stroke Henrik's cheek and pull him in for a lingering kiss.  
"Shall we order pizza to celebrate?" She winked as she pulled away.

"Usually I'd say no, but it's been a long day and I can't bring myself to cook, so I suppose we could on this one occasion."


	2. But That Was Last Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set in the months following the shooting at Holby City Hospital, focusing around how much Roxanna's life had changed.

On Fridays Roxanna used to buy 2 frozen pizzas. She used to ask David which wine he wanted with their Friday night dinner, and she always used to buy a packet of chocolate biscuits to eat for dessert.

But that was last year.

Now Roxanna spends her Fridays at work, watching Essie bury herself in work and wanting to advice her to take some time off, but not doing so for fear of being called out for being a hypocrite. Her dinner on Friday nights is now a black coffee and, if she's lucky, a ham and cheese sandwich from the corner shop just down the street from the hospital (that is, if she has time and if there are any in stock).

-

Roxanna used to spend most of her time curled up on the sofa, tucked into David's side whilst they watched a documentary, though David had usually fallen asleep half an hour into it. She used to slip from his hold and pour herself a glass of wine and fill a bowl of cheese crisps before returning to the sofa, being careful not to wake David.

But that was last year.

Roxanna doesn't bother with wine anymore, partially because she could never drink a whole bottle to herself and partially because she's too aware of how easy it would be to make a bad habit of it that she can't stop falling into on a nightly basis. Roxanna can't bring herself to watch a full documentary anymore, although she sometimes sees one whilst she's browsing the Netflix menu, and she spends her evenings in bed trying to fall asleep as early as possible to fill the hours that she spends outside of work.

-

Roxanna used to speak to Henrik irregularly, often once a month or so, and it rarely branched out into anything other than small talk. If ever Roxanna or Henrik had moved the conversation away from small talk it would only ever be towards medicine. Henrik and Roxanna would never talk about their personal problems, such as Henrik's depression or David's worsening dementia.

But that was last year.

Now Roxanna and Henrik talk regularly, usually in the late evening over a glass of wine, and they are finally brave enough to talk about their hidden feelings of greif or depression, even anger. It's a slow process, learning how to open up to someone after so many years of being so selective about what you tell them, but it's a process that Henrik and Roxanna are happy to go through together.


End file.
